Typically Atypical Triangle
by Txcutee
Summary: Katniss is the lone victor of the 74th Hunger Game. Now she must come to a decision on whether she's up to juggling forbidden love along with her problems with the domineering Capitol and her horrific nightmares. AU story. Games briefly mentioned. Suck-y summary but should be better inside.
1. Chapter 1: Complications

**Sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors; I swear I've read over this thing like a million times. Thanks for choosing to ignore your homework and read this (Which of course is not what I'm doing *said sarcastically*).**

**Disclaimer: ALL right go to Suzanne Collins-unfortunately****.**

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**Chapter 1: Complications**

**Katniss**

Gale and I make our way to the hob. Based off the position of the sun, it must be around four o'clock in the afternoon. It blazes down on our necks with its summer heat. We walk in a comfortable silence, a ghost of a smile on each of our faces since we had a pretty good haul today. The summer is when we usually get more game, but today we got even more than usual.

Heavy footsteps echo behind us, they're fast and are getting louder with each passing second. Both of us tense, hoping that it isn't the sound of peacekeepers.

"Gale," a deep masculine voice calls out.

We both stop and turn. There is a tall skinny boy, about Gale's age, with broad shoulders, short dark hair, and olive skin. A Seam boy. I have seen him around school a few times, most of them he was with Gale, so I'm assuming he's one of his friends.

He catches up quickly to us. "Hey," he greets with an easy smile. Unlike Gale, he seems to smile a lot more often, but then again, I don't even know him.

"Hey," Gale replies with a small nod.

His mouth opens to say something, but then his eyes flicker over to mine.

"Don't tell me," he says, lifting up a finger. "You must be Katniss, Gale's _lovely_ hunting partner." He puts out his hand out for a shake.

"Yeah," I answer hesitantly, a little shocked as to how he knew my name, taking his big calloused hand.

"Gale's told me a bit about you," he says, answering my unsaid question.

"Oh, well, Gale has told me absolutely nothing about you, so you'll have to introduce yourself. I don't think I'd be able to guess your name." I give Gale a pointed look, whom is looking a bit sheepish.

"It wasn't a guess. I just knew."

"Well it seems to me that Gale has told you more than just a little bit about me if you just knew."

He laughs. "He has. But I didn't say it because he would have hit me on the back of the head or something." This of course makes Gale step forward and hit him across the back of the head. "YOU SEE!"

I laugh in response.

"I'm Thom by the way." He gives my hand another like squeeze, which, till now, I hadn't realized I was still gripping onto his hand. I quickly let go, clearing my throat, a light blush creeping up to my cheeks. "Though I don't know why Gale wouldn't have told you about me. We've been friends for years." He gives Gale a playful glare.

"It slipped my mind," he says nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders. Thom looks at him disbelievingly, and then opens up his mouth to say something, but Gale quickly changes the subject before he can saw anything else. "So why are you here?" He asks, trying not to sound rude.

"Oh yeah, your mom said she needed you for something back at home."

"Okay. Tell her I'll be there in a bit. I'm just gonna go to the hob with Katniss first." He pauses for a second. "Cause you know...I don't want to just abandon her and make her do this by herself."

"I'll be okay, Gale"

He hesitates for a second. "You sure?"

"Oh don't worry," Thom says with a wave of his hand. "I'll keep her company."

"Yeah," I add. "Besides if I don't like him I'll just ditch him somewhere or something."

"Oh thanks."

"Plus, this'll give me a chance to get to know you're friend who apparently already knows so much about me that he can name me without even having met me."

He hesitates for another moment longer, still looking skeptical. "Okay, but you're not really the type of person who likes getting to know other people."

"Well I just figure that since he knows me-kind of anyway-that I should know him too. Besides, it'll be nice to talk to someone else for a change."

"What? You don't like talking to me all the time?" Gale asks. He puts a hand to his chest with a mock-offended expression.

"Don't worry, I'd get bored having to listen to all his shit all the time too," Thom says to me.

Gale punches his arm but then nods. As he turns to go, he grabs Thom by the shoulder and whispers something in his ear that I can't make out. By the looks of it, he probably sounds a little harsh.

When Gale finishes what he had to say, Thom lets out a bark of laughter. "No promises."

Gale gives him a shove before bidding them both goodbye and walks away in the direction of his house.

I stand there a little awkwardly, my hands fidgeting with my game bag. I nod my head once before saying, "Well, let's get going."

"Lead the way."

I walk at a medium pace, not wanting to go too slowly in case I want to hurry things up and stop talking to him, but then not wanting to go too fast so I have time to find out about his and Gale's relationship and just how much Gale has told him about her.

"So...how long have you known Gale?"

"Oh, I've known that asshole since kindergarten-sadly." He lets out a quiet chuckle. "We didn't hit it off right away though. The bastard kept stealing my pencil...Not sure how actually became friends though. You know how a kindergarten kid's mind works. You're mad at them for a minute then the next you're their best friend." A small smile creeps up his face as he recalls the memory. "So how exactly did you two meet?"

I give him a quick version of the two of us meeting in the woods after the mine explosion that killed both of our dads. I also tell him how, like him, we didn't immediately become friends. Neither one of us are the trusting type. It took us nearly six months until we finally gave up on the idea that the other would try and steal our game.

We spend the rest of the time at the hob and on the way back to my house talking about hilariously embarrassing moments of Gale.

"...Pulled the chair out of the way before he sat down. He fell on his ass with the most ridiculous expression ever." Thom does a quick copy of the "ridiculous expression". I double over laughing,

Thom opens his mouth to say more, but then the front door of my house opens and my mother steps out.

"Katniss, honey, dinner is ready." She stands there in the doorway, waiting for them to say goodbye.

Thom gets the hint. "See ya later."

"Yeah, you too."

As I'm walking past my mother, she raises her eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes in response.

When all of us are sitting down and eating some rabbit stew, my mother asks.

"So who was that boy you were with outside? I thought you were with Gale today."

"I was with Gale." She raises her eyebrow, urging me to continue. "Then his friend, Thom, came and told him his Hazelle needed him at home."

"So Thom walked you home?"

"Obviously."

"Well that was very nice of him."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever," I mutter.

We spend the rest of dinner in silence.

**Gale**

I lay in bed, my brothers sleeping soundly in their beds across the room. Moonlight shines through the fluttering curtains. A warm breeze floats in from the window, bringing little comfort in the hot summer night. I have the covers pulled back to foot of my bed in a big heap. I have my hands behind my head as I stare at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Earlier today I watched as Thom made Katniss smile and laugh easily. It had taken me a few months to even get her to crack a smile. The only reason that happened was because I tripped and fell into a pool of mud.

If I'm honest with myself, I'm extremely jealous of Thom for being able to make her happy like that _outside_ of our woods. But I'm not ready to be honest with myself, so I'm not jealous of my best friend that wouldn't dare hurt me like that…yet. I used to spend my entire day thinking of ways to make her smile like Thom just did _without_ even_ trying_. It just wasn't fair. I live for seeing her smile, and Thom comes along and effortless does what I try and do every day.

Thom is my best friend, I know he wouldn't ever try and take her away from me, I mean, he knows how much I like this girl. He knows that Katniss isn't just some random girl. He knows that Katniss means more to me than any other girl ever could in a million years. He knows that no guy could ever love Katniss as much as I do. No one could ever be as close to Katniss me. Katniss is my best friend, my confident, my other half. I know her like the back of my hand. I know her better than even herself sometimes. Nobody is more perfect for her than I am.

~:~

The next couple weeks go by in a blur. Before I even know it, the reaping is today. My stomach is tight, and I'm incapable of having any more than a few hours of sleep. Nevertheless, I get out of bed early and go to the woods.

I listen for a hum of the fence but find none. I crawl under and grab my bow from a hallow log.

I walk around silently, looking for some nice, fat squirrels for the baker.

About an hour later, I wait outside the bakery's back door. The baker's son, Peeta Mellark, opens the door. As soon as he sees me—or lack of a partner-his eyes dim and he mumbles that he'll go get his father.

Mr. Mellark come to the door and looks at my squirrels.

"Not as good as your lady friend's, but I think I can still give you something."

_Shit!_ I wanted it to be a surprise for Catinip.

Before Mr. Mellark can get too far I ask, "Please sir, if it's not too much to ask, could I maybe get some bread? I have a few extra coins if you want that too." I reach into my pant pocket pulling out three coins and holding them out to him.

He looks at my hand but doesn't reach for the coins. "Let me see what I've got." He comes back with two fresh rolls still warm from the oven. I take the rolls from him and start to hand the coins to him.

"Keep it. The squirrels are nice and fat. Good luck." With that, he closes the door which leaves no option for arguing. Normally, I would have banged on his door and demanded that he take my money, but I'm in too much of a hurry to think about it.

I run back to the fence, hiding the bag of rolls in my game bag. When I'm almost to our meeting spot, I stop and pull out the rolls. I stick an arrow through both of them. I walk the rest of the way there.

Katniss is already sitting on our rock when I get there. The sun is behind her, giving her a glowing look. I step on a twig so she'll know I'm there. She snaps her head up and gives a small smile.

I've been seeing a lot more of her smiles as of late. Thom has been joining them whenever they've been together inside the district. He's always joking around with her, pulling out laughter and smiles that don't usually come out unless she was with Prim or with me in the woods. I'm happy that Katniss is happier, but I'm still quite jealous that _Thom_ is able to make _my_ Catnip feel that way.

Yes, jealous. It's the only explanation for my unexplained anger towards Thom and Katniss whenever they are together. I think it was about last week when I was finally honest with myself.

"Look what I shot!" I say, pulling out the rolls. She begins to laugh before she takes a roll off the arrow and holding it to her nose.

"Mmmm. Still warm. What did it cost you?"

"Just two fat squirrels."

"Oh, Prim left us some cheese." She pulls out a small ball of goat's cheese from her own game bag.

"Thank you Prim!" I exclaim, blowing a kiss in the direction of District 12. Katniss laughs and hits my arm playfully.

"You're so weird."

"Weirdly awesome." She smiles and shakes her head.

We sit down on our rock. I reach behind it and grab a couple berries.

I toss one up in the air towards her. "And may the odds—" I say in a ridiculous Effie Trinket capitol accent.

She catches it in her mouth before finishing, "be _ever_ in your favor." We laugh but it quickly dies away when the nervousness and unease sets in.

"How many times is your name in that bowl?" She asks, purposely not looking at me.

"Forty-two," I say more calmly than I feel.

A few minutes later she says, "You better not get picked and leave me."

I smile at her. "I wouldn't dream of it, but I am going to have to hold you to it too."

She smiles down at her lap and says nothing.

A few hours later, we walk back through the Seam to our homes. "Wear something pretty," I tell her flatly (but with desire to see her even more beautiful than usual) when we're at the fork of paths that lead us in different directions.

When I get to my house I quickly wash myself up in our bathtub that's already filled for me. I dress in black slacks and a blue button down shirt. I don't bother to fix my messy hair; I just figure it won't matter whether I'm picked this afternoon or not. However, what my hair looks like matters to my mother.

"Gale!" my mother exclaims, taking the comb from the bathroom counter. She brushes through my hair rigorously, ignoring my loud protests.

We all eat a small meal in a tense silence before we leave for town square.

I stand in my spot of other eighteen-year-old males just wanting this all to be over with. I look over at the area with the sixteen-year-old girl, searching for my Catnip. When I find her I see that I have not been denied my request from earlier. Her hair is done in a bunch of elegant braids. She wears a soft periwinkle blue dress that looks like it's made out of velvet.

Katniss looks up and meets my eyes. She offers me a tense smile and I do the same.

Effie comes up to the microphone, turning everyone's eyes to her with unease.

"Ladies first." She gives us a big fake smile with her perfect white teeth.

She walks over to the bowl; her heals clack loudly in the silence of the crowd. She reaches her hand in and grabs the dreadful card with the name of the unfortunate soul who will go into those fucking games.

She stands in front of the microphone again, opening the slip of paper slowly.

My heart shatters into a million pieces when she reads the name.

"Primrose Everdeen."

**Katniss**

Prim and my mother are the first of my few visitors. They both have clear streaks going over their red cheeks. As soon as Prim sees me, she unclasps her hands from around our mother and places them around my neck. I immediately wrap my arms around her and rub her back, whispering soothing words of comfort into her ear, trying to calm her shudders and deafening sobs. Our mother sits beside us, curling her arms around us both.

Right before the peacekeepers come to take my family away from me, Prim makes me promise that I'll try my hardest to get back home. I swear that I will more out of comfort to my sister than to convince myself that I can actually make it back home alive.

I turn to my mother and make her swear on my father's grave that she won't clock out again no matter what she sees on the television. Even though, Mrs. Everdeen looks like she's about to burst into tears like Prim had, she stays strong and agrees to this. I pull her into a deep hug and tell her that I love her and how sorry I am for leaving her. I pull back and I can see in my mother's eyes that she knows that I don't really think I can win this.

"You can do this. I believe wholeheartedly that you can win."

Next it's Madge who walks in. I didn't really expect her to come and say goodbye. We've paired up when we had to do a project, we stuck together for gym, and we sat together at lunch, but I've never really thought about the mayor's daughter being my friend. After Madge hands me a gold mockingjay pin and a hug, I realized that maybe we just kind of became friends without notification; it was just kind of an unknown agreement.

After Madge, it's Mr. Mellark to come in. We don't say much, he hands me a bag of cookies and promises to look after my family while I'm gone, then we just kind of stay there in an awkward silence until the peacekeepers come to tell him to leave.

It isn't until he leaves that I realize that he said 'while I'm gone'. Did that mean that he believed that I would make it home to take care of her family? Did he have that much faith in me? Did people really believe that I would be able to kill all of those innocent people and win the games? Why would he tell me that I would win when his own son is coming in there with me?

Gale is the last to come and visit. As soon as he's in the room and the doors close, he opens his arms. I don't hesitate to run into them. Even if there's nothing romantic about our relationship, his embrace is comforting and assuring.

After a moment of silence, he begins to tell me last minute advice, not that I'm listening to any of it. Instead, I just soak up his scent, and hope it will be enough to stay in my memory for the amount of time that I have left on this planet.

Eventually, his babbles cease (Neither one of them was ever really good with words). He puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me back to an arm length distance. He stares into her eyes with something I can't really describe. The look is unfamiliar to me. I'm sure it's familiar, but I can't seem to remember where I've seen this look before.

"Katniss," He says intensely, making sure I understand every word. "You have to come back to us. To Prim. To your mother. To District 12. To _me_." During this short period of time, he has pulled me closer to him, his grip on my shoulder have tightened almost painfully. His eyes are now full of pain, making it extremely hard to look at him knowing that I caused most of it. I want to look away but I can't. Our noses and forehead are millimeters from touching. Then, he starts to lean closer. My eyes widen, afraid of not being able to figure Gale out.

Now I'll never get to know what he was going to do, because at that exact moment the door to the room fly open and two peacekeepers come in to take Gale away from me. Suddenly, all of the terror tumbles on top of me, creating a big weight on my chest, making it immensely hard to breathe. The peacekeepers come closer, ordering Gale to get out before they have to start using force. But I have other plans. I wrap my arms around Gale's waist, creating a death grip on him, screaming at them to let him stay with me.

Eventually, after the peacekeepers get fed up with trying to pry us apart from each other, and they give up. Or at least I think they did.

I look up at Gale, who is smiling down at me in silent victory. I can't help but smile back at him. He leans in again.

Just when his lips brush mine, they come back, this time there is a third with them. He carries something in his hand, hidden from my view. I shrink back into Gale's chest, hoping that soon I'll wake up from this horrid nightmare. I'll wake up on my old worn-out mattress with Prim sleeping soundlessly beside me. I'll get out of bed and go hunting or to school. Yes school. Even though I hate that place, I would much rather have to spend an extra eight hours for a whole year if it meant that I would be able to stay here with my family and Gale.

There is a soft prick in my arm, and then everything goes black.

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**Whoah! First chapter! What did you guys think, huh huh, whatcha think of this? Please excuse my weird behavior...I may or may not be a little delusional right now. I've been playing around with this idea for a while, not quite sure what to think of it quite yet...tell me what you think in your reviews that you will leave. If you don't I will hide underneath you bed. Jk. Seriously review though, I'm dying to know what you guys are thinking.**


	2. Chapter 2: Watching

**Sorry for any mistakes. Thanks for continuing to read this.**

**Disclaimer: Rights still go to Solider Suzanne Collins.**

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**Chapter 2: Watching**

**Gale**

I've been so lonely lately. I've spent all of my free time either in the woods avoiding everyone, or I've been sitting in front of my television set watching and hoping nothing happens to my best friend, my Catnip.

In one week's time I will be starting my job down in the mines. I'm absolutely dreading having to go down into that dangerous dark place, but it's unavoidable. I've always known that I couldn't live on hunting alone, but that doesn't make me any more prepared for this. As it creeps closer, the knot in my stomach grows bigger and the more I feel as if my life is almost over.

After they sedated Katniss, they were finally able to rip us apart. I thrashed against them while I watched helplessly as they carried her away to the car that would take her to the train and away from me for possibly forever.

I slap myself mentally. _No, Gale,_ I think,_ don't think like that. She'll come back to you._

"Katniss," Peeta says.

I stop and look up at the giant screen in the middle of the town square. Katniss and Peeta are in a sort-of-cave. Pine needles cover the floor. Peeta is in the sleeping bag. By the looks of it, he is burning up pretty bad with a fever. And of course with my jealous thinking, I wish that it would be the death of him.

Katniss goes over to him, wiping the hair from his eyes. "Thanks for finding me."

"You would have found me if you could," Katniss replies. She looks scared for bread boy, which only infuriates me more to see her concern for someone who is only going to get in her way of winning and getting back to me.

"Yes. Look, if I don't make it back—" Peeta begins, but Katniss cuts in before he can finish.

"Don't talk like that. I didn't drain all that pus for nothing."

"I know. But just in case I don't—"

"No, Peeta. I don't even want to discuss it." Katniss frowns at him in annoyance, pressing a finger to his lips.

"But I—" he insists.

Katniss leans down and presses her lips to his without hesitation, stopping his useless words. She leans back after a moment, determination all over her beautiful features. "You aren't going to die. I forbid it. All right?"

"All right," Peeta whispers back.

A parachute floats down outside, but I don't have any interest to find out what the fuck Haymitch gave them. I have no interest in seeing _MY _Catnip take care and love a boy who could never love her or know her like I do. I'm pretty sure actual smoke is steaming out of my ears, because people look at me with fear as I turn to leave. I push past them all, not bothering to apologize to any of them.

I go to my house, stomping my feet the entire way. My mother is outside with Posy doing laundry.

"Hi Gawl," Posy says sweetly.

I slam the door behind me. I can faintly hear her cries and my mother's hushes through the door. I should go back and apologize, but the only shit I could think about is her lips on his; see her falling for the wrong boy; forgetting about all me.

I flop down on my bed with a huff. I put my hands behind my head and close my eyes.

My mother walks into the room and places her hands on her hips. "Gale Hawthorne! Why do you all of a sudden think you have to the right to talk to your siblings that way?" I purse my lips and stay silent. She raises my eyebrows at me. "Well?"

"I'm sorry," I say truthfully. "I'm just a little frustrated and upset at the moment."

"You know that's no excuse to act like that to your sister." She comes over and sits next to me. She brushes my hair with her fingers, much like Katniss did to Peeta. "I know Katniss being in the games is hard on you, it's hard on all of us. She was like another daughter to me. We're all going through a tough time, but she'll make it out of there alive. She is a survivor."

I turn on my side away from her. "But now she can come home with _him_. She's not going need me anymore."

"She's always going to need you; you're her best friend."

Tears begin to well up in my eyes. I blink, trying to make them disappear. "I love her."

"I know you—"

"And she _kissed_ him." I say the word kissed as if it were blaspheme. "_SHE _KISSED _HIM_! _HIM_ AND NOT me." I whisper the last word. I can no longer hold in my sobs of pain when my mother rubs my arm. I sit up and surround myself in my mother's love. She rocks me back and forth, drawing little circles on my back until I calm down. She pulls me back and smiles softly.

"The best you can do is be there for her when she gets back." She gets up, and kisses my forehead before she leaves me alone in my room.

**Thom**

I've been lonely lately. There isn't anyone to talk to about my problems. Katniss is gone, not that I could have talked to her about my problem of liking her anyway. I can't talk to Gale about it for the obvious reason of him being in love with Katniss (Not that I've actually gotten to talk to him since Katniss was reaped). I can't really talk to my friends from school because I'm not that close to them to talk about something like this. I don't have a sibling or a mother to talk to anymore. My father is always working or too tired to pay any attention to me. This leaves me with nobody. I'm left alone in the world to swell up with all of my shit.

After the reaping, I was standing in line behind Gale to see her. I was hiding off to the side where he wouldn't see me. I don't really know why I didn't want him to see me, he knew that Katniss and I were friends, but it was just better if he didn't know that I liked her that much.

I watched as he went in. I was leaning against the wall, anxiously waiting for my turn. I watched as two peacekeepers went into the room. I heard some incoherent shouting coming from inside. I stood up straight. The peacekeepers came out looking pissed as fuck. One of them waved over another. He came over and took something out of his pocket before he went inside. There was more shouting, but this time it was easier to identify.

"GET YOUR FUCKING FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!" Gale screamed.

I watched two of the peacekeepers pull Gale out of the room. He was thrashing around wildly. The other peacekeeper comes out with an unconscious Katniss in his arms. They take her to the car that had taken all the other District 12 tributes to their death except for two.

Once the car had driven away and the tributes were on the train, they let go of Gale. He immediately sunk to his knees. He ran his finger through his hair, tugging the ends. His face held both anger and remorse.

I felt bad about it later, but after I saw him like that, I just walked away. I was angry at him for ruining all of my fucking chances of seeing her. I didn't even know what I was going to say to Katniss, but something was better than nothing.

If anything I probably would have done something reckless like kiss her. For the past few weeks this strong feeling has come over me. My heart flutters every time I see her passing in the halls. I daydream about her in class. At first, I passed it off as curiosity, but it just got worse. I've tried to keep my feelings in tack, but I guess it's true when they say you can't control who you love.

I've never been in love before, but I'm almost positive this is what it feels like. I've never really noticed before what everyone saw in her, but just spending one afternoon with her changed all of that. She's beautiful in every way. It all sounds like sappy crap, but I can't help it; I've turned into one of those lovesick boys from a romance novel (not that I've ever read one). Now I know how why Gale this way. Katniss is no ordinary girl. Of course if she was, she might have died from starvation years back.

Seeing her in the games is heart-wrenching. Watching her be in constant danger freezes me to the bone. Looking upon her kissing her district partner, Peeta, has rage boiling in my blood. I knew that he liked her, his obvious stares in the hallway made that quite clear. Even before I really met her, it wasn't hard to figure out what was going on inside his head.

I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, thoughts of Katniss filling my brain until I have lost consciousness.

**Gale**

I continue to watch the games after dinner. I scowl at it the entire time. I watch as she kisses and cares for him. The whole time I can't help but think that I should have volunteered to be with her, and then maybe I would be in Peeta's spot. For months I had been so sure that I would be her first kiss and first everything else. I was so sure that we would end up together. I had heard people around the district talk about it too, so I know I'm not the only one who thought that.

All of my siblings have gone to bed now, but I'm too sickly interested in Katniss' actions to go and lie down. Eventually, my mother stands up and bids me good night.

It's about an hour later when I decide that I can't stand to watch another moment of them kiss, cuddle, and have her share one of _our_ memories with _him_. I stand up, my knees popping with relief. I grab the remote, but before I can turn it off, the sound of trumpets blare loudly.

"Attention all tributes," Claudius Templesmith voice booms. "A feast is going to be taking place." The screen flashes shots of all the remaining tributes, showing all of their reactions. Most of them write it off (the only ones not in the mostly group being Cato and Clove). "Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately. Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn in two days' time. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance."

I sit back down on the couch, my thoughts running a mile a minute.

Peeta grabs Katniss' shoulders. "No," he says. "You aren't risking your life for me.

"Who said I was," Katniss says.

"So, you're not going?" he asks skeptically.

"Of course, I'm not going," she lies. "Give me some credit. Do you think I'm running straight into some free-for-all against Cato and Clove and Thresh? Don't be stupid. I'll let them fight it out, we'll see who's in the sky tomorrow night and work out a plan from there."

"You are such a bad liar, Katniss. I don't know how you've survived this long." He shakes his head at her. "Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin."

Anger flushes her face. "Fine," she snaps. "I am going, and you can't stop me!"

I curse Katniss and her stubborn attitude. I begin to pace around in front of the tv. My hands pull at my hair. I breathe deeply, trying to calm down. Only it's impossible when you hear that your best friend want to go out and risk getting slaughter by those sadistic killing machines.

By the time I'm able to breathe normally, Peeta had somehow convinced Katniss not to go. I can't help but feel unconvinced. Knowing Katniss for four years has made me learn that once she has an idea in her head, her stubbornness doesn't let it go away.

I turn off the tv shortly after that. I go into my room, flopping down on the bed carelessly.

"Gale," Vick calls into the dark from his bed.

I ignore him. I stay still, hoping that he'll get the message. Apparently he doesn't.

I hear his bed creak and his feet hit the floor. His feet pound against the ground, disturbing the peace of the night. He shakes my shoulders roughly.

"Gale," he whispers again.

I slowly open my eyes and stare at him. "Yeah," I yawn.

"Why has Katniss been kissing Peeta?"

I sit up in bed, a scowl now present on my face. "Because she likes him."

"But I thought that you and her were soul mates." He cocks his head to the side in confusion. "You were supposed to get married and have kids together."

"Well it looks like that won't be happening," I snap. I sigh depressingly. "Go back to sleep."

"Can I stay here with you?"

"Aren't you a little old for that?"

"Katniss and Prim share a bed."

"Yeah, but you share a bed with Rory." Vick pouts at me. I sigh. I scoot over and pull back my thin blanket. "Fine." Vick smiles at me before getting into bed.

"Good night, Gale."

"Night, Vick"

~:~

Last night's conversation really got to me. It's Sunday, a day that Katniss and I always went hunting. I sit at our rock, the loneliness really settling in.

"_But I thought that you and her were soul mates?_" Yeah, me too.

I go back inside the district when it starts to get dark. I go to the hob and trade a rabbit. I go to the Everdeen's house next. I give them half of what I have left. Prim thanks me with a big hug.

"I really miss her," Prim says into my chest.

"Me too, Prim, me too."

On the way back to my house I hear my name being called. I turn around and find Mira Hicks walking towards me. She waves when she sees me looking at her. Mira was one of the girls I used to fool around with all the time until she started wanting more than just a good fucking on a Friday night.

"Hey, Gale," she says seductively. I look her up and down. She's wearing one of her prettier dresses.

"Hello," I greet tensely.

"Well, that's no way to talk to an old buddy," she laughs, slapping my arm playfully.

I roll my eyes at her. "What do you want, Mira?" I ask rudely.

She raises her eyebrows. "You know what."

I'm about to object, but I really think about it. Katniss doesn't need me, she has Peeta to take care of her now, or rather take care of him. Besides, it would be a nice distraction, clear my head of all the images of the two of them.

I nod once. "Okay."

She smiles at me, taking my hand in her soft one. "Great."

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**Please review! It would really make my day. Have a great weekend. :-)**


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

**Chapter 3: Reunion**

**Katniss**

The last couple weeks have been very hectic and exhausting. A camera crew has been here interviewing _everyone_. They started with me, my family, friends, and then just some random people, trying to get an idea of what my old life was like. They interview me mostly about how I'm coping with my loss of Peeta.

The last three was Peeta, and Cato, and I. Cato was thrown off the top of the cornucopia by Peeta after I shot his hand. I used my second to last arrow to send a mercy shot through his skull, ending his suffering. I used my last arrow to make Peeta a tourniquet for his leg.

We waited for them to tell us that we were the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games, but it never came. Instead, we were told that the previous rule was revoked. We argued for quite some time, trying to determine who would make it out of the arena alive. The answer was obvious to both of us, but I just wasn't ready to agree and let him die.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of the nightlock berries. I put some in both of our hands, holding it out for everyone to see. On the count of three we put them into our mouths. As soon as they entered Claudius Templesmith came back on and declared us the winners.

I immediately spit out the berries. I turned and smiled at Peeta, but it quickly faded when I saw him falling. _What had I done?_

The paramedics came down and dragged me away from his lifeless body. At first I was too shocked to move. I just stared at his limp body being carried away onto a separate hovercraft. I wasn't until I couldn't see him anymore that I started screaming. I started to attack the people pulling me away to my own hovercraft. Some peacekeepers came out of nowhere and held me down on the ground until the paramedics were able to sedate me.

This memory constantly plays through my brain. It's been a repeat since I first time I woke up fully in the hospital. It goes through my mind right now as I wait for Gale on our rock.

I haven't seen him since the greetings at the train station. I've seen him a few times on my new television because he is now apparently my cousin.

During the games, when they came to District 12 to interview Peeta and I's close friends and family, they decided that Gale is too "hot" to be my best friend, so he became my cousin. It's seemed to confuse a bunch of people. A lot of the people who have known Gale and I for years suddenly now believe that we are cousins. I mean, we both look fairly similar, which makes it all the easier to pull of the cousin act, but it shouldn't change the truth to the people who know us. It seems to me like the only people who still remember we are just best friends and not cousin is the Hawthornes and my family.

I sit with my knees pulled to my chest; my finger is drawing random shapes on my leg for what seems like forever. Gale still isn't here when the sun is almost directly above me. I begin to feel some pressure behind my eyes. Gale thinks I'm a monster. Correction: he _knows_ I'm a monster, and now he no longer want to be my best and only friend.

I look up, ready to go home and get away from our once special spot, but then I find Gale standing there amongst the trees.

Our eyes meet instantaneously. We stare at each other for a moment, taking in each other's profile. He's thinner now. His hair is longer and messier, falling into his eyes which now have dark circles underneath them. His shoulders sag more now (probably from working in the mines). His face is hard but his eyes show that he's drained of the life he once knew.

A second later, his face softens, and he opens his arms just like he did when he came to say goodbye to me over a month ago at the end of the reaping.

I spring off of our rock and sprint over to him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. He holds me just as fiercely. We hold on to each other as if one of us could disappear at any moment. With me being reaped and him now working down in the mines, it seems that it is more likely now. I do a combination of laughing and sobbing hysterically into his shirt. He rubs my back comfortingly while he rocks me back and forth.

Eventually, my sobbing/laughing fit turn into hiccups. Gale pulls away with a grin on his face, still keeping his arms around me. He brushes the hair out of my face lightly, his fingers lingering. I hiccup again. He chuckles softly, unwinding his arms from around my waist. He takes my hand in his and pulls me away to the river.

As I'm cupping the water with my hands Gale says, "I really missed you."

"I really," hiccup," missed you too."

"It was hell watching you every day, being in constant danger, injured, hungry, thirsty—"

"Gale," I say slowly, closing my eyes. "Please stop."

"They're the games, Kaniss. They aren't suddenly going to go away. They're there for life!"

I'm shaking my head, tears pouring down my face again. "Please," I whisper shakily. "I don't want to remember any of it."

"What about Peeta? Wouldn't you want to remember him?" He asks angrily. "He was your lover after all."

"No he wasn't," I say inaudibly.

"What was that?"

"It wasn't real!" I scream, finally opening my eyes. I look into his shocked eyes, letting him know just how truthful my words are. "It was all an act to get sponsors." I turn away from him, covering my face with my wet hands.

"Katniss." He lays a hand on my shoulder gently, but I shrug him off. "Katniss," he tries again, wrapping his arms loosely around my shoulders. "I'm sorry I said that to you." He leans his head against mine. "I didn't it was an act, but that still didn't give me any right to say that." He rubs his nose against my ear. "I'm sorry."

His skin-to-skin touch alerts me, pulling me out of the darkness of my memories. I turn to face him. "I'm sorry I screamed at you."

"I kind of deserved it."

"Yeah, you kind of did."

"Hey," he laughs. "You weren't supposed to agree."

"But you did deserve it." I place my head on his chest. He pulls me closer to him, resting his cheek against the top of my head.

"I really missed you."

"Me too."

~:~

We hunt for a few hours before we decide to start heading back to our coal-covered district. We are both smiling, overjoyed that we have our best friend back at our side. We walk slower, enjoying the feeling of our lives feeling almost normal again. We stash our weapons in a hollow log. When I stand back up, I find Gale staring at me.

"What?" He shakes his head, and walks past me.

I can just make out the top of the justice building when I hear Gale say, "Katniss." I turn my head. Before I have time to react, his hands are cupping my face and his lips are on mine. I'm too shocked to move. _What the hell is going on?_

Gale pulls away, his eyes looking straight into me. "I had to do that," he whispers almost inaudibly. "At least once." His hands slip from my face. He doesn't make it that far away from me before I pull his lips back down to mine. Our lips move in perfect synchronization. His hands curl around my waist as my hands tangle themselves in his messy hair.

It isn't until one of his fingers touches the little sliver of my exposed skin between my hem of my shirt and my pants that I realize what is going on.

I instantly push him away, with more force that probably necessary. We are both gasping for breath. He has a big grin on his face while mine looks at him in horror. Before he can say or do anything, I'm sprinting away towards my house in the victor's village

_Why would he do that? _I think to myself as I'm running home, ignoring all the strange looks I get from the people around me. _He doesn't really like-like me like that. He just missed me. That's all it was: An action to let him know for sure that I was really there._

_Why didn't I see that before? _

_Why did I kiss him back?_

_What the _hell _is going on?_

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**Hooray for me being sick! It gave me time to look over what I wrote and update this for you. :)**

**R&R**

**~Txcutee**


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